


When the Stars Align

by pajama_cats



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, ポケモンマスターズ | Pokemon Masters
Genre: Childhood Friends, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26943571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pajama_cats/pseuds/pajama_cats
Summary: When Lear is forced to go to Unova at a young age he feels as if his life begins to spiral downwards. Fortunately he makes a new friend that makes life a little more bearable.
Relationships: Cheren/Lyer | Lear
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Mentions of Interlude 6, chapter one takes place several years before Pasio is created.

Training and studying, with book after book always in his face seemed to be Lear's routine anymore. It was too much! Why did  _ he  _ have to go through all this pressure?

Is this what it takes to be king? Why was his father doing this to him? He was only a prince! His mother never made him do any of this!

Only a week after his mother passed, his father decided to send him away without warning.  _ You need to start behaving like a king would.  _ It's all Lear remembers of his father's words before being sent to Nuvema Town in Unova. Compared to where he previously lived the place was incredibly  _ small. _ Nothing to do nor see, it's why he decided to sneak out of his room to get out of the town, finding himself walking on the shore of Route 1.

Shouldn't Rachel and Sawyer be here by now? He was so exhausted! He missed Sawyer reading to him and Rachel sneaking him in cookies and milk at night..

...Where is everybody? Why wasn't anyone taking him back home now? Why was his father being so mean and unfair?

Why couldn't his mom still be here so everything would go back to how it used to be?

Lear's eyes began to form tears and he sniffled quietly. The breeze of the ocean in the night made him shiver and he furiously rubbed his eyes to stop the endless amount of tears.

"What's wrong?"

An unfamiliar voice startled Lear, making him stumble back from a boy with short black hair, a cowlick and glasses. He tilted his head at him, adjusting his glasses and looked.. Concerned?

Was that right?

"W-who are you?" Lear asked, sniffling again though his tears were no longer rolling down his face. He didn't even hear the other boy walk over..

"I'm Cheren," The boy,  _ Cheren,  _ smiled at him and held out a hand. Lear looked down and hesitantly took it feeling Cheren squeeze his hand. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine!" 

_ He didn't catch me crying, did he— _

There was a disapproving frown on Cheren's face and yep, he saw him crying. There was no use in lying, and if honesty kept him company then he guesses maybe it won't be so bad to talk things out.

"I've been training and studying all week! I just want to go home, but my dad won't let me.." Lear can feel his eyes start to water and as he blinks away his tears he feels Cheren squeeze his hand again. "S-so I snuck out and I guess I feel lonely.."

As Lear finished he felt sudden regret by opening up to some kid he just met. Maybe he should have held his tongue, told Cheren he's royalty and it's none of his business! 

..Except he really didn't want to.

Fear fills him when Cheren lets go of his hand, but before panic starts to set in Cheren smiles at him. There's something comforting about him that Lear's never felt with anyone he just met..

"There might not be anything we can do about you going home, but you don't have to be alone," Cheren says softly. Lear wants to ask  _ how,  _ how could he possibly not be miserable when he was stuck inside all day, unable to talk or to see anyone he loves— "Since I'll be your friend."

"You will?" Lear's eyes widen and he breaks into a smile, ignoring a week's worth of lessons on how a future king should stay calm and composed. How could he hold back when he hasn't felt this happy in weeks? 

"Of course I will," Cheren laughs softly, with a small smile of his own. He adjusts his glasses again before quirking up an eyebrow. "Where are you staying anyways?"

"Accumula Town," Lear then adds a little hopefully. "Do you live there?"

"I live in Nuvema Town,"  _ Oh.  _ Maybe he shouldn't have pressed his luck— "It's south of Route 1 so we're not far from each other."

"I should get going," Lear speaks suddenly, hesitant to leave but every minute away makes him feel anxious. The idea of being caught and supervised wasn't very appealing. "C-can we meet again tomorrow night? I can't sneak out during the day so—"

"So I'll make sure to see you every night," Cheren finishes his sentence and surveys the beach. "It'll be our own meetup place, um.. I never did get your name."

Lear pauses before he takes off, twirling back around to face Cheren and smiles sheepishly. He was so excited to make a new friend it must have slipped his mind! How informal of him. "I'm Lear!"

"I'll see you tomorrow night, Lear!" Cheren shouts as Lear heads north to Accumula Town. A small Pokemon lurked in the shadows, watching their exchange with interest and a delighted grin, teleporting away from sight.

Lear couldn't stop smiling as he ran home, excitement coursing through his veins. While the days might be exhausting and boring he had one thing to look forward to now.

_ His friend. _

  
  
  
  
  


The next day felt entirely different to Lear.

Sure, it was filled with a routine he'd really rather not have, but knowing he could get away from it all at night made him eager to see the sun disappear and the moon take its place. 

He wondered what life was like in Nuvema Town. Surely Cheren didn't have the weight of a crown on his head, but he can't imagine what living a normal life would be like. 

"Lear!" 

Cheren's tone rings throughout the beach and Lear quickly picks himself up from his place on the sand. His heart flutters with excitement at seeing the familiar glasses and cowlick. For once that day Lear finds himself smiling, unable to stop himself from the sight of Cheren.

_ He kept his word. _

"I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?" Cheren frowns, adjusting his glasses. "I know how much of a bother it can be."

"N-no you didn't I just got here!" Well, ten minutes but Cheren didn't need to know. "I knew you'd be here anyways."

Because he's a prince and  _ nobody  _ would stand up royalty! 

Cheren arches a brow before easing into a smile of his own. "I told you I'd come see you."

—Except Cheren doesn't  _ know  _ he's a prince and came out of the goodness of his heart. Lear has to look away, lightly kicks the sand under his shoes and looks past Cheren.

"What's Nuvema Town like?" Lear asks suddenly. Might as well change the subject while he can, and from what he heard it was one of the smallest places in Unova. He can't imagine living somewhere so  _ tiny  _ all of his life. How Cheren does it he’ll never know.

"It's nice, I guess," Cheren shrugs lightly. "But in a few years my friends and I are going to embark on a journey all throughout Unova!"

"Why not now?" Lear tilts his head. If he was allowed to come out this far then couldn't he already start his adventure?

"Professor Juniper wants us to wait until we're a little older before she gives us our very own Pokemon," Cheren frowns, impatience radiating off of him. "I think we're responsible enough now.. When I get my Pokemon I'm going to be the strongest trainer there ever was, and become champion!"

"You already have your mind made up? Isn't that a lot of work?"

He can't really grasp the concept of someone his age already set on what they want to do when he's training to be something he  _ doesn't _ want to be. He was a little envious of Cheren, living his own life without being told what he can or cannot do.

"There's no shortcuts in life without putting in hard work,"  _ Okay so he has a point.  _ "Don't you have a goal too?"

Lear remains silent, looking down with a frown. His "goal" was what his father wanted and not exactly what  _ he  _ wanted. There isn't much he can do considering the circumstances. As the only child he was destined to inherit the throne, but not without proper training it seemed.

"I guess.." Lear mumbles and shifts under Cheren's gaze. It wouldn't hurt to tell him about his title, right? Cheren didn't seem like the type to give him special treatment over him being a prince. "I have to inherit my father's throne and crown when I'm older."

"Crown?" Cheren furrowed his brows. "You're a prince?"

Well that was.. Quite a calm reaction. Did titles mean nothing to him?

"You aren't bothered that I'm royalty?" Lear asked hesitantly. He's met those who didn't believe him or would try to kiss up to him over his title. Fortunately those people didn't stick around a lot with Sawyer chasing them away.

"It makes no difference to me," Cheren pauses, eyes ever so curious as he fixes his glasses. "Maybe when we're older we can have a Pokemon battle!"

"Y-yeah!" Lear brightens, a wave of relief washing over him. Prince or not he'd love to battle against Cheren! Rachel and Sawyer always made battles seem so fun, he'd love to try it out with his friend! "I'll train just as hard as you!"

"Careful now I've been studying Pokemon for years," Cheren warns with a glint in his eyes. Something about him seemed like he'd prove to be a challenge.. The thought only furthered his excitement. "As long as you don't keep me waiting I'd love to battle you."

They exchanged knowing smiles, spending the rest of their night discussing what Pokemon they'd have on their team. Even if he didn't know as much as Cheren when it came to Pokemon he didn't mind listening to him talk the night away.

  
  
  
  
  


Two weeks after their first meeting they got into a regular serene routine. Meet up at night, discuss whatever was on their minds, sometimes vent about their troubles and then watch the ocean sparkle under the moon's brilliant light.

They always met in their usual spot on the short beach, away from prying eyes and out of the way of Pokemon's homes. It was best they met half way and not get caught sneaking around in the towns they had to stay in. Lear didn't mind the walk though, as long as it kept him and his friend out of trouble he didn't care how far he had to travel.

Lear never thought himself as a night person, but it was the only time of the day he truly looked forward to. Seeing Cheren, talking and laughing with Cheren.. Any thought circling Cheren was an instant mood lifter whenever he started feeling exhausted or sad. Being with him was one of the few comforts he had left.

Except one night Cheren didn't show up. 

Maybe he was just running late or had to deal with his family— there were so many excuses running through his head he  _ refused  _ to think Cheren would forget to see, forget about him.

They were friends, he wouldn't!

Panic was the first thing that set in, before loneliness replaced it. It was the first time he felt that way since he got to Unova. Just as the tears started to set in, a mischief Pokemon appeared before his eyes; floating, small pink and gray with small hoops on it and had the brightest green eyes he's ever seen. 

What he assumed to be a troublemaker turned out to be a nice Pokemon after all. Twirling around, giving him a beautiful rainbow stone and even bringing him a Phanpy! It was so nice to him, so maybe... Maybe they could be...

"Hey... Would you be my..."  _ Friend?  _

Lear doesn't get a chance to finish his question when Hoopa decides to suddenly disappear leaving Lear confused and disappointed. Phanpy seemed just as confused, but nudged his head against him, quickly running behind him. 

Lear turned to see a cowlick come into view, along with a very disheveled Cheren who bent down holding his knees as he caught his breath. Lear could hear his own heart beat in his ears, a flood of happiness taking over that he felt as if he could hug Cheren by how  _ relieved  _ he was to see him. He may be late, but he came! 

"I'm sorry I'm late," Cheren said between breaths. "My friends and I got grounded and I had to wait until my parents slept to sneak out, what a bother—"

Cheren paused, kneeled down and stared at the timid Phanpy trying to hide behind his legs. Lear stepped aside and crouched down, gently holding onto Phanpy as if trying to comfort him. 

"This is my new friend!" Lear spoke proudly, patting Phanpy as he let out a happy cry. "I just met him before you got here."

"How did a  _ Phanpy  _ get here? You can't find them anywhere in Unova!" Cheren spoke in disbelief, expression purely baffled. Despite how shocked he was Phanpy moved forward and bumped its trunk against Cheren's hand.  _ They’re getting along! _

"This floating Pokemon came out of nowhere and teleported him here," It sounded purely unbelievable but it was the truth! Cheren would just have to take his word. "It suddenly left before you got here though.. Maybe it's shy."

"Could have been a psychic type if it can teleport.." Cheren mumbled, and eased into a smile. Lear felt his face warm and he lowered his eyes back down to Phanpy who was enjoying the head pats he was getting. "I'm glad you made two new friends tonight."

Well.. It left before he could ask if they could be friends, but what bad Pokemon would leave him with his very own Pokemon? And it did give him a gift—

"Oh! It also gave me this really beautiful stone," Lear says happily, taking the rainbow colored stone out of his pocket and revealing it to Cheren. "It has a pretty star symbol on it, but I've never seen one like this before.."

"I never read or seem that in any of my books either.. Maybe it's a lucky charm."

_ A lucky charm, huh?  _ Lear smiles to himself, running a thumb over the smooth stone. The mysterious Pokemon entrusted it to him for some reason so who knows what it could be. An evolution stone or one that powers up certain Pokemon moves, he'd have to see what the future held for it.

Though he won't rule out that it was a lucky charm. Considering he met Cheren right after it was given to him maybe it  _ is  _ lucky. He made a new friend today, impressed Cheren with his new Pokemon and got to hang out with his favorite friend tonight.

"Yeah," Lear says. "I think it is."

  
  
  
  
  


Hiding a Pokemon was no easy task.

Lear wasn't sure if his current mentor would make him get rid of it or scare the poor Pokemon off, but he refused to let anything happen to Phanpy. So he did what anyone else would do in his situation: gave it to Cheren.

During the day Phanpy would go stay and eat with Cheren, then at night they'd reunite again and play on the beach. He can't count the amount of times Phanpy would go rolling past Cheren and nearly knock him over by how excited he was to see him. 

Thanks to professor Juniper they were able to get a pokeball for it, just so it'd always be his, and nobody could make a  _ prince  _ get rid of his own partner Pokemon!

On days when Lear was early or Cheren was late, Hoopa would appear to play with him as if not wanting him to be lonely. It never would appear in front of Cheren, but maybe it only had a liking to him. Either way he was never alone with the friends he made in Unova.

It's not until one day Lear  _ finally  _ gets a call from his father only to receive heart shattering news. He was to  _ leave  _ Unova and get transferred to another mentor. Some new school his father thought would be perfect for him..

_ It wasn't fair.  _ Why did  _ he  _ have to leave the small paradise he, Cheren, Hoopa and Phanpy built up?

What's worse is that he couldn't protest against it. Not only was it his father's orders but you can't defy a  _ king  _ either. He had to silently accept it and not put up a fight as much as he wanted to. Throwing a fit wouldn't do him any good.

"Hey," Cheren speaks up from their spot on the grass, watching Phanpy roll in circles across the sand. It was a slow night, but Lear didn’t mind that, not when he wanted the night to last forever. "You've been acting off all night, what's wrong?"

Was he really that easy to read? Maybe, maybe not. Cheren  _ is  _ sharp so there was no fooling him. Even Hoopa could sense something was wrong when he saw the Pokemon earlier.

"..." Lear looks down, letting out a shaky breath with tears threatening to fall as he looks up to meet Cheren's concerned face. "I-I have to leave Unova tomorrow. I don't know if I'll ever see you again.."

Lear sniffles as his arms tremble. Why couldn't he stay? Why couldn't he stay with Cheren? He didn't want to leave! 

"That's nonsense," Cheren huffs out, and turns to him with a steady look. "Of course we'll see each other again. It might be years, but I look forward to the day I finally see you again."

"You promise we'll see each other again?" Lear himself feels doubtful, maybe a little hopeless but it's hard to let himself get wrapped in the negativity when Cheren was holding his hand, giving him the most tender expression. 

"I promise," Cheren says softly. It nearly brings Lear into tears when Cheren hands him Phanpy's pokeball that Lear entrusted to him, closing his fingers around it. "Who knows, maybe I'll be the champion and you'll be a king when we reunite."

_ I'll miss you,  _ Is what Lear thinks, unable to say the words as he chokes out a sob. He'd hold onto those words like his life depended on it, just how he held onto Cheren now. 

Titles meant nothing as long as he would get to see Cheren again. The first real friend he made that wasn't one of his retainers or royal staff.

As Lear calms himself in the arms of Cheren he wonders how long it'll be before they cross paths again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending so much time alone in isolation, then to forming Pasio, Lear finally runs into his childhood friend.

_ Several years later.  
  
  
_

As prince and founder of Pasio, Lear would say his life is set.

All he had to do was battle his way to the top (laughably _easy),_ prove to his father that him and him alone is the _strongest_ trainer there is in the world and then he'd _finally_ get the crown.

Unfortunately he was met with headache after headache. First some gaudy hat wearing amateur and their friendship loving companions  _ constantly  _ cross paths with him, some headache inducing losers called Team Break were trying to ruin his tournament, and if things couldn't possibly get any worse for him he had to see  _ Red  _ of all people show up on his island!

"Is there anyone else coming to my island to torment me with their mere presence?" Lear asks, watching Sawyer flip through his clipboard. Arceus, it was bad enough he had to run into Blue who seemed stuck to the hip by Red. He'd at least like a warning if anyone else decided to do a surprise drop in..

"There's a gym leader who should be here soon thanks to Hoopa," Sawyer says, as Rachel was feeding the mythical Pokemon a donut. "Would you like to greet them, young master?"

"I suppose I have the time," Oh what an honor it would be to grace a newcomer with his presence. They  _ better  _ be grateful! "If they're by themselves then the odds of witnessing a lovey-dovey friendship reunion are low."

It was truly disgusting to witness.

"Where are they coming from?" Not like he cared all that much, but he did like to keep updated on Hoopa's whereabouts. Although he had nothing to worry about! Nobody would  _ dare  _ steal from him!

"Unova." 

Lear doesn't look up, tries to calm his beating heart and stares off at nothing in particular. It could be anyone, so what? There were already a handful of trainers from Unova anyways. It's not like it could be  _ him. _

"..Is that so."

"Unova is nothing compared to your island, it's  _ so  _ much better!" Rachel chimed in, eagerly flopping her sleeves. The compliment only served to fuel his good mood. At least she knew when to appreciate his greatness.

"I'm off!" Lear snapped his fingers up and strided ahead, not bothering to look back at his retainers. A prince didn't need to babysit. "I have to be punctual for our guest."

  
  
  
  
  


Hoopa's rings were always tedious to find, but after the mythical Pokemon guided him to its recent ring, Lear walked with his head held high. Surprisingly not many gym leaders or trainers seemed too impressed about meeting a prince, but surely this gym leader had respect for royalty. Apparently most from Unova were unfazed by royals due to an incident with a king years ago. 

It didn't stop Skyla from greeting him with open arms when Sawyer had assigned her to be a Pokemon masters leader of Pasio, and to his disgust she tried to  _ hug  _ him after just meeting him. What insolence! You don't just engage contact with a prince!

On his walk to meet the gym leader he noticed Hoopa was in a suspiciously good mood. More so than usual.. Now was  _ not  _ the time to start acting mischief. Another odd thing Lear noticed was the fact that Hoopa had yet to hide. Usually it lurked behind him or teleported away whenever strangers approached, so the fact that it was  _ still  _ with him set off alarms.

The more they walked the more impatient he got. What if that gym leader decided to go off on their own? Or got whisked away by one of those annoying pests..

"Lear? Is that you?" A voice so full of disbelief, one that sounded familiar, but more mature than he remembered called out from behind him. Lear inhaled sharply, shoulders stiffening as he slowly turned around. 

The sight that he was met with was either a punch to the stomach or one that completely took his breath away.  _ Cheren  _ stood before him with a smile so fond and blue eyes that sparkled brilliantly at him. Lear nearly stumbled over himself since nobody  _ ever  _ looked at him so sweetly before. Why did  _ he  _ have to look at him like that?

He looked so different now too. Hair a bit longer, no glasses to be seen, looking formally dressed, and a lot more taller. Why did Cheren have to be taller than him now?

There was such a different aura to him now too.. Maybe because he became a gym leader, or perhaps there was a change in his life too. Lear felt drawn to him for some reason.

How many years has it been again?  _ Too long,  _ is what runs through his head. A flood of memories came pouring in and he couldn't quite grasp  _ why  _ it felt as if his heart was going to burst from his chest.

_ It's him. _

"Oh, it's you," Lear says, his voice not as steady as he'd like it to be. This was just a formal greeting to welcome his newest guest to Pasio! Cheren was just another name on his list of trainers to defeat! "You're late coming to the tournament, fortunately for you there's still time to sign up."

Because he has to keep this casual and he will  _ not  _ let someone from his past make him waver from his goals. Even if said person was.. Fairly attractive now.

"Did I keep you waiting?" Cheren may have meant it as a joke but the words weighed heavily on his mind. He hates that his instant response is to want to say  _ yes.  _ "I had to go over lesson plans with the substitute teacher. My students were very reluctant about me leaving."

Cheren laughs gently and Arceus why  _ did that put him in an instant good mood? _

Here they were, together again, but.. He spent so many years alone after leaving Unova. Got wronged one too many times, decided he had enough and only he can depend on himself. Looking at Cheren almost makes him want to open up his heart again. Almost.

That was just childish foolishness! There's no way Cheren kept him in his thoughts for so many years—

"I've missed you," Cheren steps forward as Lear's feet remain frozen to the ground. He was just— standing his ground is all. He was by no means nervous. "When I heard you were running a league I couldn't believe it."

"Couldn't believe that I'd manage to throw a successful tournament?" Lear scoffs. Another person underestimating his greatness—

"I couldn't believe I'd meet you again,"  _ How  _ Cheren could remain so calm and patient was beyond him. What happened to the impatient child that always thought any minor inconvenience was a bother? "But I never lost faith either."

"..." Lear felt his defenses lower as he was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to respond to such raw honesty? Cheren was always blunt, sure, but the last time he remembered him being so sickeningly sweet was when they last saw each other.

Lear's heart tightens and he hesitates as Cheren walks beside him letting their hands brush. It sends a little jolt through him and as if burned, Lear crosses his arms as they walk together. 

They were simply going the same way is all. He wasn't following Cheren or anything!

"We should catch up later," Cheren says suddenly after an awkward amount of silence. Lear's not sure if he's thankful or not. "You seem like you've got a lot on your mind."

Why wouldn't he? He's a prince after all,  _ and  _ has an entire island to run!

"If you had a schedule as busy as my own you would too!" Lear scoffs and doesn't like the way that it felt as if  _ he  _ was trailing after Cheren. Couldn't he slow down? 

"Yet you had the time to come and see me."

_ Ugh.  _ Was he  _ really  _ going to accuse him of that? He'd be a terrible host if he didn't come see him! If Hoopa had teleported him closer to the Pokemon Center then— wait, where did Hoopa run off to anyways? 

The universe really couldn't give him a break, could it?

"I have business to attend to," Lear masterfully changes the subject and looks away from Cheren, deciding to head in the opposite direction. "But I'll humor you. Meet me at the Battle Villa later and  _ don't  _ waste my time."

Lear strides off not bothering to give Cheren a second glance. He pointedly ignores the way his heart aches and misses the soft sigh Cheren lets out as he shakes his head.

He had nothing to worry about for later, right?


	3. Chapter 3

Of all the things Lear had to endure in his life he never thought having something as simple as a conversation would make  _ him  _ nervous. It was just Cheren! 

..Cheren who spent part of what was left to be considered  _ good  _ in his childhood. Cheren, who had no need to visit him every night, but saw him anyways. Cheren that proved to be more than a goodie two shoes.

Lear buried his face in his hands. Why did this have to be so hard? He'd just come in, give Cheren some of his very valuable time, then retire to his room. It was such a simple plan even one of those hat wearing losers could do it!

"Do you always wear your sunglasses at night?"

Lear jumps at Cheren's voice and holds a hand to his heart before quickly crossing his arms. He casually leaned back against his loveseat, torn between wanting to snap at him or brushing it off. Oh, who was he kidding. "A simple greeting isn't enough for you?"

"Didn't mean to startle you," Cheren has the audacity to  _ chuckle  _ at his.. Minor setback.  _ Nothing  _ could surprise him. "Was just genuinely curious is all. It has been years since I've last seen those purple eyes of yours."

_ Arceus, he remembered my eye color.  _

Lear flushes though does nothing to remove his sunglasses. Not even Sawyer and Rachel ever saw him without the accessory anymore. 

"It has been awhile.." Lear mumbles more to himself than to Cheren. He freezes when Cheren takes the seat beside him and attempts to ignore the way their knees slightly bump together. "Did becoming champion not work out for you?"

A little harmless jab laced with curiosity. Being a gym leader seemed like something Cheren wouldn't settle for, although time has changed for the both of them..

"Ah, I suppose I realized becoming champion wasn't everything," Cheren says, tone oddly light. "It wasn't truly a goal if becoming champion was going to be so hollow. I'm content with becoming a gym leader, although it does have challenges of its own."

"Your old self would be surprised about how you've changed," Lear certainly was anyways. "I'm not fond of the current Unova champion though."

Actually that tended to be a growing trend towards anyone that was seen with Pasio's current band of hat wearers. Ugh, they probably all have friendship bracelets by now.

"I suppose becoming king didn't work out for you either,"  _ This _ makes Lear want to jump out of his seat, declare how he  _ will  _ become king and nobody can stop him— except, Cheren rests a hand on top of his and he has to silently fume next to him. "But that doesn't matter. A title doesn't change much of anything, let alone the bonds we share."

Did— did he still think they're friends? Ha! He didn't  _ need  _ friends! The whole point of winning the Pokemon masters league was to prove that he could make it on his own! He didn't need some goodie two shoes trying to regain something they had in the past—

"We all have our own paths to walk," Cheren speaks up once more, interrupting his internal dilemma. "I'm just grateful that ours crossed again."

Heat gushes to Lear's face and the tips of his ears burn. If he thought the line was bad enough the small charming smile Cheren gives him only makes matters worse.  _ He's not flustered, embarrassed or tongue tied— _

"Are you alright?" 

_ Arceus help him.  _

"W-why of course I am!" Lear's voice cracks and he breathes in sharply as he looks away. Cheren's quiet chuckle that follows only infuriates him. Who would  _ dare  _ laugh at royalty? "What's so funny?"

"You," Cheren smiles again (why does he keep smiling at him?), and Lear can feel the hand on top of his squeeze down as if he needed comfort. Which he didn't! "You've changed so much since we were kids. So stubborn and closed off now, I can't imagine what you've had to endure."

Lear tenses and his gaze on Cheren grows intense. What was  _ that  _ supposed to mean? How much did he know? Did Sawyer or Rachel say anything to him or was he just assuming—

"But you're still the same underneath it all, I'm sure of it," And just like that Lear isn't as guarded as he needed to be. He still felt paranoid of what Cheren may or may not know, but as long as he didn't press the matter.. "Even if you are more temperamental than before."

_ "You—!"  _ How insulting! He has complete control of his emotions! "What foolishness! I've immensely improved in more ways than one! Someone as great as I am will  _ win  _ the Pokemon masters league with my strength alone!"

"Really now?" Cheren raised a brow (why did everyone find that so hard to believe?), leaned forward and—  _ and why is he so close now?  _ "Perhaps we should test that out. I'd love to battle you."

Lear can feel the adrenaline run through him, feels the way his heart beats as rapidly as it did when he encountered Cheren again. The only reason he can grasp  _ why  _ he feels this way is to show off his amazing skills and impress Cheren with how strong he's gotten. It's just the thrill of a battle is what he tells himself. 

He's not sure why he feels so disappointed when Cheren pulls away and gestures for him to follow along.

"Who am I to refuse a challenge?" Lear snaps his fingers and follows Cheren, something somehow not unusual for him. "Consider this a privilege!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than I intended, but apparently this is somewhat of a slowburn now hjdhgf


	4. Chapter 4

There's nothing worse than the bitter sting of defeat. Lear knows this, doesn't want to acknowledge he's felt it one too many times, but for that— that goody two shoes to beat him, how ridiculous!

He didn't even have a type advantage either! So infuriating, the way he praised both of their Pokemon, not even rubbing it in that he won. All he did was give Lear the most tender smile he's ever been given telling him what a good job he did. He doesn’t need his pity!

"You don't need to pout," Cheren says, a hand on his back that makes Lear want to tense up. It however only manages to comfort him, which is ridiculous because he  _ doesn't need it. _ "I could tell you and your Donphan gave it your all."

_ If that was our all then why didn't we win?  _ Is what Lear  _ wants  _ to ask. Knowing Cheren he'd begin one of his friendship speeches followed by the meaning of life and he wasn't exactly in the right mood to want to sit through one of those talks  _ again. _

"Your Donphan looked like he was having fun too," Cheren squeezes his shoulder, voice softer and closer than it previously was. "There's more to battling than just winning, Lear."

"Didn't you used to say what a  _ bother  _ it was if you didn't win?" Lear scoffs. At least that's what he remembers the old Cheren saying. The only thing that seemed to remain the same was the fact that Cheren was  _ still  _ comforting him. 

"I suppose I did," Cheren chuckles, hands lingering on Lear's shoulder, the touch burning into him. Neither one moves, all too relaxed despite Lear's silent fuming. "But that was  _ before  _ I set out on my journey. Even then I've learned a lot from traveling around Unova again, growing from my own experiences. Maybe you'll learn the same as well." 

"I've experienced  _ plenty _ ," Lear bites back, eyes averting from under his sunglasses to glare at the ground. Life taught him he had to work his way to the top on his own merits, without something as ridiculous as  _ bonds _ . "Shouldn't you be off gloating to your..  _ friends? _ "

Arceus, he didn't even have enough venom to call them any rude, but completely fitting, nicknames.

"There's nothing to gloat about," Cheren frowns, although it's gone faster than it appeared. The smile Cheren sends him is far too kind, something he feels like he actually doesn't deserve. "And I'd rather be here with you."

Lear can feel warmth rush to his face, his lips parting slightly as the crisp air steals his breath. He is, by no means, surprised by this! It was just rare to get compliments from someone other than Rachel and Sawyer is all. Nothing more.

"O-Of course you are!" Lear claims a little too loudly, sits up rather quickly and nearly jerks the arm now wrapped around his shoulders away. "Who  _ wouldn't  _ want to spend time with me?"

Cheren's reply is a low hum and despite how flustered he may feel there's a tranquility in him that Lear hasn't ever experienced with anyone else in such a long time. Well,  _ years  _ ago anyways.. 

Lear wants to lean into the touch, knowing despite being out in public nobody would bother them on the secluded bench he decided to ponder on before Cheren felt they needed to have a little heart to heart. The sun already set, leaving behind a fading mix of orange and pink, soon turning into the dark blue starry sky Lear dreamed of seeing as a kid when he was stuck indoors during the day. 

Well, he could indulge himself just this once, couldn't he? It had been a long day after all. A prince  _ is  _ allowed to do as he pleases!

Lear's eyes flutter shut, a quiet exhale leaving him as his shoulder bumps gently against Cheren's. He can feel eyes on him, knowing full well there's a curious expression the gym leader wears as he looks to him. An expression that seems to be on him more often than the pinched eyebrows and annoyed expression Cheren used to wear after a long day. 

As different as Cheren seems, and while some of his old traits are rare to shine through, Lear still can't wrap his head around how.. More intact Cheren became over the years. It frustrates him that Cheren got to experience his own journey, getting an apparent reality check and grew up to be someone even his own mother would respect. He wonders how life would have turned out instead if she was still here, how much pain he wouldn't have to go through. 

Yet, he would have never met someone like Cheren, one of the few people or perhaps the  _ only  _ person he could find a small piece of comfort in. He can feel Cheren's hand on the edge of his shoulder, bringing him in closer until his head is resting against his shoulder. Fine then, he'll humor Cheren with the privilege of getting to be so close to him. An honor it'd be for any weakling on his island to have.

Except he can't imagine sharing a moment like this with anyone else. 

For once he drifts off not thinking about the crown or the weight of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again this wasn't supposed to be a slow burn yet here we are fhdjfh

**Author's Note:**

> Written because my friend & I are still aren't over the recent Interlude and the idea of Cheren meeting Lear before he got to Pasio is a really cute thought aaaa. Shoutout to my friend shortcake for motivating me to write this! <3 Next part is gonna be a time skip! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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